On Tuesday night, the Longmont City Council looked at four ballot measures for the Nov. 2023 election for the first reading.
The first ballot question included building an arts and entertainment center in Longmont. The proposed ballot issue would cost Longmont residents $45 million with a combined increase in sales taxes and a mill levy increase. The mill levy would increase by 1.9 mills over 20 years which would increase property taxes on a $500,000 by $67.93 annually. The sales tax would increase by nine cents.
While this question has the potential to show up in 2023, it remains unknown when these tax increases will begin. The issue is dependent on a private fundraising promise of $35 million that must be committed to the city before the city will begin the tax.
Councilmember Tim Waters was in favor of the center but expressed concerns that inflation costs could cause disappointment in the community. Since the $35 million private funds do not have a timeline a future council could be looking at significantly increased costs to this project.
City Manager Harold Dominguez told the council that if he were to guess at a number to add to the project’s total budget, he would add an additional $40 million. He also said that there are different approaches to bridge the funding gap including a potential to utilize the Opportunity and Enterprize zones, which would allow for more private investment in the center.
The second question would be to ask residents to approve a mill levy increase of 1 mill and a sales tax increase of 15 cents per $100 spent for a new library branch. In total, the project is estimated to cost $27.7 million and the tax increases would sunset after 20 years. If approved by voters, those whose homes are appraised at $500,000 would pay $35.75 a year.
The ballot language does not include a location for the library branch because the city hopes to build it as an annexation to a proposed recreation center that would be located at Dry Creek Park in southwest Longmont. However, the library question is not tied to the recreation center ballot proposal. Dominguez said this was by design so that if the recreation center question fails and the library question passes, the city can move forward with a new library branch.
There were four proposed ballot questions brought before council on Tuesday night. However, the city council agreed the last two should be combined. The first part of the question would ask voters to approve a tax increase to raise $72 million for a new recreation center. This would be a mill levy increase of 2.78 mills or $99.39 annually for a $500,000 home, which would begin Jan. 1.
The new center would also have an estimated annual operating cost of $3 million which would be covered by a sales tax increase of 11 cents. This increase would go into effect in 2025 when the center would be expected to be operational, Dominguez said.
The second part of this ballot measure includes a partnership between the YMCA and the city of Longmont. The YMCA would tear down the 50-year-old Centennial Pool facility and construct a new center on the land which would include a lap pool, ice rink, child care and affordable housing. The city would take possession of the current YMCA and use that property to build more affordable/attainable housing.
This section of the measure would include a mill levy increase of 2 mills for three years. The $12 million project has the potential to increase affordable/attainable housing in Longmont by 100 units.
Longmont City Council members unanimously voted to begin the process to send these questions to the ballot.
“It is a win for all of Longmont,” said Scott Conlin, community organizer of Let’s Get Physical Longmont, a group that is supporting recreation ballot initiatives in Longmont. “We are talking about bringing up the level of recreation service for all residents of Longmont at three different locations. Residents deserve this.”
